Motive

by Pamela M. Kelley

  The biggest issue Waverly generally had was an occasional heroin overdose. The problem was growing, even in the smallest towns. But, Gramps was proud of the fact that so far, none of the overdoses had resulted in a death, thanks to the fact that all local police and emergency responders carried Narcan pens, which were a powerful antidote.

  For the most part, though, Waverly was a quiet, quaint seaside town. The kind of place where anytime you go to the grocery store or shopping along Main Street, you were likely to run into people you know.

  Jane had always loved it, but hadn’t been around much in recent years, since her mother remarried. The only family she had left in the area was Gramps and her cousin David. She had no siblings and her father had been gone now for just over ten years.

  She’d been lucky to find this condo so quickly. That was thanks to Gramps. He lived a few doors down and had called her the minute the rental went on the market. He’d only just moved in himself a year before, looking to downsize from the larger home he’d lived in for over fifty years.

  His condo was a different layout from hers. It was one level so he didn’t have to deal with the stairs. Hers was three levels if you included the finished basement. Her favorite feature was the deck that looked out over the ocean. They were close enough to have a pretty view, but high up on a hill so flooding would never be an issue.

  The breeze ruffled her hair as she sipped her wine and tried to calm her racing thoughts. She thought that she’d put investigating behind her, yet here she was with a dead body and a lot of unanswered questions. It was both terrifying and tempting at the same time. If nothing else, she wanted to help find them someone else to focus on. Jake might be kind enough to dismiss her as a suspect, but if no one else emerged, attention would likely fall on her again, and she didn’t need that.

  She jumped as the phone suddenly rang, snapping her out of her thoughts. She smiled as the caller ID said it was her mother.

  “Hi, Mom.”

  There was a crackle of static in the background and then her mother’s voice came through. “Hi, honey. We just docked in Bali and came ashore, so I wanted to let you know where we are. Reception isn’t great here. How are you?” Her mother’s new husband, Jim, was a semi-retired executive who was also an obsessive sailor. They had been at sea for several months now, making their way slowly around the world.

  “I’m good. Well, actually I’ve been better.” Jane filled her mother in on the day’s events.

  “Oh, no, how awful. That poor woman. I never did like her much, but still I wouldn’t wish her ill. How are you doing with it all? I hope you’re not planning to get involved?”

  Jane said nothing.

  “Really, Janie, that wouldn’t be a good idea. Let the professionals do their job. Stay out of the way and focus on your shop. Do what makes you happy.”

  “I’m trying to do that, Mom.” Her mother seemed satisfied with that answer.

  “Good. So, let me tell you what we’ve been up to….” After about thirty minutes of her mother’s travel monologue, which was the usual chatter about all the interesting people they were meeting and different types of food they were trying, they finally hung up and Jane reached for the sweater she’d brought with her and pulled it on. The air was getting cooler and the sun was almost gone as the dark of night rolled in.

  With regret, Jane decided that it was probably best to head inside for the evening. She stood and shivered again from the cold and from her mother’s last words—“Honey, don’t forget to lock all your doors. Waverly seems like the safest place in the world, but you can never be too careful.”

  5

  The next morning at around ten thirty, the morning rush was over and the only people left in the store were Gramps and his two buddies, who were just getting up to leave as well. Jane asked Melissa to keep an eye on things for a little bit while she ran out to run an errand. She untied her apron, grabbed her purse and headed for the front door. Gramps held it open for her. “Where are you off to in such a hurry?”

  “I thought I’d take a walk down to the Sellers’ bed and breakfast and see if Chester is around. Pay my condolences, maybe ask a few questions.”

  “I’m coming with you.” It wasn’t a question, and truthfully, Jane was happy to have Gramps’ company. She’d never been fond of Samantha’s soon to be ex-husband, Chester, and didn’t relish the thought of walking into his restaurant alone.

  “Wonderful, let’s go.” They walked the short distance to the other restaurant. Like her shop, it was a slow time for them, too, and the only person there was Chester, who was leaning behind the front counter, where all the to-go muffins and bagels were kept. He was reading the Boston Herald and stirring sugar into what looked like a freshly poured cup of coffee. He looked up in curiosity and then surprise when he saw Jane and Gramps walk in.

  “Morning. What brings the two of you in?”

  “I heard your banana nut muffins are better than mine, so I wanted to find out for myself,” Jane said with a smile. “I also wanted to offer my condolences. I’m very sorry for your loss.”

  “I’m very sorry as well,” Gramps added.

  “Thank you, both. Two muffins, then?” he asked as he opened a small paper bag and slid on a plastic glove to handle the food.

  “Why not?” Gramps agreed.

  “How are you doing?” Jane asked sympathetically, hoping to draw him out.

  Chester dropped the second muffin in the bag, folded the top down and then handed it to her.

  “Anything else?” he asked, seemingly ignoring her question.

  “No, thanks.”

  She handed him a ten-dollar bill and as he rang it through the register he said, “It’s a bit surreal to me. The day before yesterday we were screaming at each other, another huge fight about who gets what and then, just like that, she’s gone.”

  He handed her the change and added, “It’s kind of strange, actually. I’d finally agreed to give her my share of the business, and now the whole thing is mine. I’m not even sure that I want it.”

  “Have you been working together all along?” Jane asked, curious about their volatile dynamic.

  “Off and on, mostly off.” He smiled and then explained, “The place seems to run better when only one of us is in charge. I’ve been gone for over a month now while we worked this out, and didn’t have any plans to come back.”

  “Did you go away somewhere?”

  “What?” He seemed distracted by the question at first. “Oh, no. I’ve mostly been here, just focusing on other things.”

  “What else do you do?” He was a big man, and Jane noticed that his hands were rough and calloused.

  “I run a small construction business, mostly kitchen and bath remodeling. That’s my main interest.”

  “Do you have any thoughts on what happened to your wife?” Gramps asked.

  “Ex-wife. Or at least she was soon to be. I guess she is now, though, isn’t she?” He chuckled nervously and then said, “I don’t have any idea what happened to her. She drove me crazy, and more than once I wanted to kill her, but I could never actually do it.” He chuckled again, and added, “I suppose that doesn’t sound very good, does it?”

  Jane’s first instinct was to tell him that she understood, but instead, she simply smiled and said, “I hope they find out who did this soon.” She put her change back in her purse and picked up the bag of muffins.

  “We’ll leave you to it, then,” Gramps said as they walked toward the door.

  * * *

  “What do you make of him?” Jane asked Gramps as they walked back toward her shop. She reached into the paper bag and broke a piece off one of the muffins. She popped it in her mouth, and then sighed. They really were good. Not better than hers, of course, but close, very close.

  “Pass that bag over here,” Gramps demanded. Once he helped himself to a chunk of muffin, he considered her question.

  “I don’t think he did it. No real reason to. He was almost rid of her.”
<
br />   Jane thought about that for a moment. “That’s true, but now he doesn’t have to give away half of what he owned. The restaurant is his again. Everything is his.”

  “That’s true. Still, my gut says he didn’t do it.”

  “Has your gut ever been wrong?” Jane was curious. Her grandfather had been very good at his job—exceptional, even.

  “My gut has fooled me a few times over the years, I’ll admit that. My track record is pretty good, but you never do know for sure.”

  “You know her much better than I do. Can you think of anyone who would benefit from her death?”

  Gramps reached for the muffin bag again before answering.

  “She wasn’t a popular woman. In recent years, she was even more difficult, burned a lot of bridges. I know her stepsister wasn’t her biggest fan. Rumor is she was having an affair with a local lawyer in town, a married lawyer. Don’t know of anyone that had a motive, though, other than just not liking the woman. That’s usually not enough.”

  “No, you’re right. We need to keep digging. Sounds like there’s no shortage of people to talk to.”

  “Every conversation leads to something else,” Gramps said as they reached the front door of Comfort & Joy.

  Jane paused before saying, “Mom doesn’t want me to get involved.”

  “I love your mother, but she doesn’t understand what we do. She never did. How is she?”

  “She’s good. Just landed in Bali. You’ll probably hear from her soon.” Jane opened the front door and then turned back to Gramps. “Thing is, though, she does have a point. I was supposed to be walking away from investigating.”

  “Good luck with that, Janie,” Gramps said with a grin.

  6

  Except for Melissa, who was taking a tray of steaming chicken pot pies out of the oven, Comfort & Joy was completely empty when Jane returned. She had left her cellphone on the kitchen counter and saw that she’d missed a call from her ex-boyfriend, Nick. They had parted on amicable, yet strained, terms. Nick wanted to try to work things out, but Jane didn’t see the point. They were too different and it had been going on for too long.

  Nick was a senior partner at the law firm she’d worked at in Boston. She’d found that impressive, at first. With his thick, blond hair and tall, athletic build, he was a very attractive man, and she’d also been drawn to his charisma and intellect.

  Nick was a very smart and powerful man. He was also power-driven and work-obsessed. He lived and breathed the law firm. After a while, it got old and even when she was dealing with the craziness that was Alex Drummond, Nick had offered little comfort. He was simply too busy.

  He’d left a voice message, short and to the point—typical Nick. He wanted her to call him immediately. She really didn’t feel like talking to him, but it was a good time to call back, before the shop got busy again. And, she was curious about his reason for calling. Nick had never been the type to call with no reason.

  He answered on the second ring. “Nick Tanner.” His tone was clipped; he was clearly in the middle of a million things.

  “It’s Jane.”

  His tone softened. “I’m sorry, I didn’t even look at the caller ID. It’s crazy here. You know how it is.”

  Jane could picture him behind his desk in his massive, corner office with the breathtaking view of Boston Harbor that he was too busy to enjoy. “I do, indeed. You called?”

  “We should meet for lunch this week.” Typical Nick. Her shop was at its busiest during the lunch hour. Going out to lunch herself was next to impossible.

  “It’s hard for me to get out during the day. The shop closes at four, though. I could meet you after that, or we could just talk on the phone. What’s going on?” She knew Nick well enough to know this wasn’t a social invitation. Neither one of them was still pining for the other.

  Nick hesitated. “I miss seeing you, and bouncing ideas off of you. We always worked well together.”

  Was that his angle? To try and get her to come back? She thought she’d been clear with everyone there that that wasn’t going to happen. “I could save you the trip, Nick. I’m not coming back.”

  “No, of course you’re not. Like I said, I just want to bounce something off you. I value your opinion. And I want to make sure you’re really all right.”

  Jane smiled. Deep down, he really was a good guy—just not the best boyfriend. “Why don’t we meet after work? I can come into the city and we can have a drink somewhere?”

  “You don’t mind? I could come to you.”

  “I don’t mind. It’s been a while since I’ve been to the Back Bay.”

  “How about tomorrow, then, at six, at the Oak Room?”

  “Perfect, see you then.”

  7

  Jane took the T into the city the following day. She normally preferred to drive but wasn’t keen on sitting in rush hour traffic, which started getting heavy by three on most days. She took the orange line into the Back Bay area of Boston. She exited the subway and came up the steps and onto the hustle and bustle of Boylston Street, and at that moment, she missed the energy of the city.

  People were streaming down the stairs to the trains and walking along the busy street. Boylston Street in Copley Square had always been one of her favorite areas. It was pretty and historic, with the grand old Trinity stone church in the middle of the square, with the public library nearby and excellent boutiques and restaurants everywhere.

  Right in the heart of Copley Square was the Fairmont Hotel and its luxurious Oak Bar. It was Nick’s favorite place for a drink after work or to meet with potential new clients and was just a block from her old office. As Jane stepped inside, she could see Nick at the far end of the bar, checking messages on his phone. She made her way over to him, admiring as she often did, the dark polished wood everywhere, and when she slid into the seat next to Nick, she relaxed into the soft, buttery leather.

  “Great to see you.” Nick leaned in to give her a hug. “Nuts?”

  He slid the silver bowl of mixed nuts her way. She reached for a few. The hot, salty nuts at the Oak Bar were another reason she liked it there. Nick had a barely touched the scotch on the rocks in front of him and when the bartender came their way, Jane ordered a chardonnay.

  “So, how are you really, Jane? You look good.”

  That was nice to hear. Jane had tried on a few different things before settling on the dusty rose cashmere sweater and charcoal gray pants. She wasn’t trying to impress Nick, but the faded jeans and powder pink Life Is Good tee-shirt she wore at the shop all day wouldn’t have been appropriate. Especially when he looked as good as she knew he would.

  Nick had great hair, thick and blond and just a hint of gel so it looked slightly tousled, and he wore a suit really well. Today’s was deep navy with a steel gray tie. Elegant and powerful. She felt a hint of the old attraction but willed it to go away.

  “The shop is doing well, better than expected,” she told him, and then took a sip of her wine. It was smooth and buttery with just a hint of oak. A perfect chardonnay.

  “I’m glad the shop is doing well, but what about you? Are you really happy just cooking all day?” The look on his face was priceless. Cooking was apparently on a par with taking out the garbage to Nick—impossible for him to imagine anyone liking the work.

  Jane smiled. “I’m happier than I’ve been in a long time, and much more relaxed. Cooking suits me. Being back in Waverly is good for me. Even after what happened yesterday.”

  She figured he had to know about the murder. Coverage had been all over the news. Though they’d left out the part about the sticky note. Gramps had explained that was the kind of detail the police generally withheld from the public, at least initially.

  “What happened yesterday?” So he didn’t know about the murder.

  “You don’t watch the news anymore?” she teased him.

  He laughed a bit. “I was up until two working on a case. Missed it.”

  She told him about Samantha Sellers. A
funny expression crossed his face when she got to the part about the sticky note.

  “What did it say again?” he asked.

  “I took care of her for you.”

  Nick took another sip of his scotch. “That’s interesting.”

  “I think it’s downright strange.” It still didn’t make any sense to Jane at all.

  “Well, it’s just odd, considering.” Nick paused for a moment. “The reason I wanted to see you is to discuss a somewhat troubling situation. Alex Drummond has been asking for you.”

  Jane shivered and reached for her glass, for something to hold on to.

  “Why is he asking for me? What does he want?”

  “That’s the strange part. I don’t really know. I received a request to meet with him a few days ago. So I went, reluctantly, but admittedly I was curious. He was actually very complimentary about you.”

  “What?” The thought of it was almost creepier than his anger.

  Alex Drummond was actually a very handsome man and almost hypnotically charismatic. His mood could change on a dime, though, and Jane had seen the shift happen, when it was almost as if someone waved their hand across his face and he went from charm to intense anger in a flash. It was unsettling.

  “He said he’d had a lot of time to think about things recently and he realized that he’d underestimated you. He said that he admires your intellect.”

  Jane squirmed in her seat. “And I’m supposed to care about this because…”

  “He wants to meet with you. That was the whole reason he brought me in there, so I could persuade you to see him. I agreed to pass on his message, but I told him it was doubtful that you’d agree.”

  “I don’t want to meet with him,” she said automatically. It was a reflex action. Every cell in her body screamed that it was a bad idea.

  “I don’t blame you. I wouldn’t want to, either. You certainly don’t have to.”

  “I’ve been having the nightmares again,” she admitted.